CN109501514B

CN109501514B - Wheel of automatic two-wheeled vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN109501514B
Application number: CN201810980489.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 松村典和
Original assignee: Kawasaki Motorcycle Co ltd
Current assignee: Kawasaki Motorcycle Co ltd
Priority date: 2017-09-15
Filing date: 2018-08-27
Publication date: 2022-05-24
Anticipated expiration: 2038-08-27
Also published as: EP3456549B1; CN109501514A; JP6932052B2; JP2019051826A; EP3456549A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wheel of a motorcycle, which is integrally formed by a rim (4) for mounting a tire (2), a hub (8) for supporting a wheel shaft (6), and a plurality of spokes (10) for connecting the rim (4) and the hub (8). The plurality of spokes (10) are arranged such that a first spoke (16) and a second spoke (18) are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction (D1) of the wheel (1). The first spoke piece (20) forming the first spoke (16) has a greater axial dimension than the second spoke piece (22) forming the second spoke (18) of the wheel (1).

Description

Wheel of automatic two-wheeled vehicle

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a wheel for a motorcycle, which is formed by integrally forming a rim on which a tire is mounted, a hub which is located at the center and supports a wheel shaft, and a plurality of spokes which connect the rim and the hub.

Background

Wheels of motorcycles include spoked wheels (e.g., japanese patent application laid-open No. 2013-035491) and cast wheels (e.g., japanese patent application laid-open No. 2005-297688). A spoked wheel is a wheel formed by connecting a hub and a rim by linear spokes. The spokes are fixed to the hub by threaded joints. Since the spoked wheel is composed of a plurality of members such as a hub, a rim, spokes, and a nipple, a complicated molding can be performed, and high design can be ensured. A cast wheel, on the other hand, is a wheel in which the rim, hub and spokes are integrally formed, for example by casting. Therefore, not only can the rigidity be easily ensured, but also the number of parts and the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced, and therefore, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Since the hub, rim, spokes, and nipples of a spoked wheel are formed of different members, the number of parts increases, and the number of assembly steps increases. As a result, the manufacturing cost increases. In addition, since the components are assembled, it is difficult to ensure rigidity.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a wheel of a motorcycle, which is a cast wheel and can ensure high design.

In order to achieve the above object, a wheel for a motorcycle according to the present invention is configured such that a rim on which a tire is mounted, a hub which is located at a center portion thereof and supports a wheel axle, and a plurality of spokes which connect the rim and the hub are integrally formed, wherein the plurality of spokes are configured such that first spokes and second spokes are arranged adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction of the wheel, and a first spoke piece forming the first spokes has a larger dimension in an axial direction of the wheel than a second spoke piece forming the second spokes. Here, one first spoke and one second spoke are respectively constituted by one or more first spoke pieces and one or more second spoke pieces.

According to this configuration, since the rim, the hub, and the spokes are integrally formed as a cast wheel, the number of parts can be reduced, and the strength can be easily ensured. In addition, by making the axial dimensions of the first spoke piece and the second spoke piece different, the first spoke piece and the second spoke piece are visually different in appearance in a side view, and a unique appearance with three-dimensional effect can be achieved. This ensures high design performance while the cast wheel is used.

In the present invention, the first and second spoke pieces may be formed in a rectangular shape having a dimension in the axial direction longer than a dimension in the circumferential direction, with respect to a cross-sectional shape along the circumferential direction. According to this configuration, by reducing the circumferential dimensions of the first and second spoke pieces, the thin spoke of the spoked wheel can be visualized in side view, and a light and classic appearance can be obtained. Further, the rigidity of the wheel can be ensured by increasing the vehicle width direction (axial direction) dimension of the first and second spoke pieces.

In the case where the first and second spoke pieces are formed in a relatively slender rectangular shape, a radius of a circular arc at a corner of the first spoke piece may be set smaller than a radius of a circular arc at a corner of the second spoke piece, and the axial end surface of the first spoke piece may be set to have higher brightness than the axial end surface of the second spoke piece. According to this configuration, the first spokes with high brightness appear to protrude outward in the vehicle width direction and the second spokes with low brightness appear to recede inward in the vehicle width direction in a side view. Thus, the spokes look three-dimensional and can obtain a unique appearance.

In the present invention, the first spoke piece may be coupled to the rim and the hub, and the second spoke piece may be coupled to the rim and the first spoke piece. According to this configuration, since the first spokes are formed longer than the second spokes, the first spokes can be made more conspicuous than the second spokes. Thus, the spokes look more three-dimensional and can obtain a unique appearance.

When the second spoke piece is coupled to the first spoke piece, a coupling portion between the first spoke piece and the second spoke piece may be located radially inward of an outer peripheral edge of a brake disc attached to a wheel. According to this configuration, the connecting portion is not visible from the outside in the vehicle width direction, and therefore the appearance of the wheel is not impaired.

In the present invention, the axial dimension of the first and second spoke pieces may be gradually reduced toward the rim. According to this configuration, the first and second spoke pieces are tapered, whereby the spoke of the spoke wheel can be visualized and the appearance can be improved.

In the present invention, the first spoke may have two circumferentially adjacent first spoke pieces, and the second spoke may have two circumferentially adjacent second spoke pieces. According to this configuration, since one spoke is formed by two spoke pieces, a stable appearance can be obtained. In this case, the first and second spokes are provided with five spokes at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. According to this configuration, each spoke piece is made thin to have the shape of a wire spoke, and the number of spoke pieces is increased to be arranged in a balanced manner in the circumferential direction, thereby easily ensuring rigidity.

In the case where the first and second spokes have two first and second spoke pieces, respectively, at least the second spoke of the first and second spokes may be inclined such that a circumferential interval between the two second spoke pieces decreases toward the rim. According to this configuration, the second spoke pieces can be arranged evenly and in good balance in the circumferential direction, and therefore the strength of the wheel is improved.

In the case where the first and second spokes have two first and second spoke pieces, respectively, a circumferential interval between a connection portion between the first spoke piece and the rim and a connection portion between the second spoke piece adjacent to the connection portion and the rim may be larger than a circumferential interval between a connection portion between the two first spoke pieces forming the first spoke piece and the rim and a circumferential interval between a connection portion between the two second spoke pieces forming the second spoke piece and the rim. According to this configuration, the individual coupling portions can have a unique appearance by varying the circumferential intervals therebetween. In addition, a holding piece for attaching a weight can be disposed at a portion having the largest circumferential interval. This facilitates the attachment/detachment operation of the counterweight.

Any combination of at least two of the features disclosed in the claims and/or the specification and/or drawings is encompassed by the present invention. In particular, any combination of 2 or more of the respective request items of the request range is also included in the present invention.

Drawings

The present invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments and the drawings are only for illustration and description and should not be used to determine the scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is to be determined by the appended claims (claims). In the drawings, like part numbers refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 is a side view showing a wheel of a motorcycle according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the wheel.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel in the circumferential direction

Description of the symbols

1. 1A wheel

2 tyre

4 wheel rim

6 wheel shaft

8 wheel hub

10 spoke

14 brake disc

16 first spoke

18 second spoke

20 first spoke piece

20a end face of the first spoke piece

22 second spoke piece

22a end face of the second spoke piece

24 junction of a first spoke piece and a second spoke piece

26 first connecting part (connecting part of the first spoke piece and the wheel rim)

28 second connecting part (connecting part of second spoke piece and wheel rim)

Circumferential direction of D1 wheel

Axial direction of D2 wheel

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, "lateral" refers to a vehicle width direction in a state where a wheel is attached to a motorcycle.

Fig. 1 is a side view showing a wheel 1 of a motorcycle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The wheel 1 has a rim 4 on which a tire 2 is mounted, a hub 8 at the center portion thereof for supporting a wheel shaft 6, and a plurality of spokes 10 for connecting the rim 4 and the hub 8. The wheel 1 of the present invention is a cast wheel in which the rim 4, the hub 8, and the spokes 10 are integrally formed by casting. The wheel 1 of the present embodiment is a cast product of an aluminum alloy. However, the material and the manufacturing method of the wheel 1 are not limited to these, and may be a magnesium alloy or iron, or may be a forged product or cut out from an ingot.

A wheel bearing 12 is assembled to the hub 8, and the wheel shaft 6 is rotatably supported by the wheel bearing 12. The wheel shaft 6 is attached to the vehicle body by a known method. A brake disk 14 is detachably mounted on a side end surface of the hub 8.

The spoke 10 is made up of a first spoke 16 and a second spoke 18. The first and

second spokes

16, 18 are arranged adjacently in the circumferential direction D1 of the wheel 1. In the present embodiment, the first spokes 16 are formed by two first spoke pieces 20 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction D1. Likewise, the second spoke 18 is formed by two second spoke pieces 22 that are circumferentially adjacent. In the present embodiment, five first and

second spokes

16 and 18 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction D1. The first spoke pieces 20 are identical in shape, and the second spoke pieces 22 are also identical in shape.

Here, the 1 first and

second spokes

16, 18 may be constituted by 1 or more first and second spoke

pieces

20, 22, respectively. Therefore, the number of the first spoke pieces 20 forming the first spoke 16 and the number of the second spoke pieces 22 forming the second spoke 18 are not limited to two, and may be one, or may be three or more. The number of the first spokes 16 and the number of the second spokes 18 may be two or more, and is not limited to five.

In the present embodiment, each first spoke piece 20 is coupled to the rim 4 and the hub 8. On the other hand, each second spoke piece 22 is connected to the rim 4 and the first spoke piece 20. However, the second spoke piece 22 may be formed to connect the rim 4 and the hub 8. The first and second spoke

pieces

20 and 22 extend linearly in side view. In the present embodiment, the connection portion 24 between the first and

second spokes

20, 22 is located on the inner diameter side with respect to the outer peripheral edge of the brake disk 14.

The first spokes 16 extend obliquely such that the circumferential intervals between the two first spoke pieces 20 constituting the first spokes decrease toward the rim 4. Similarly, the second spoke 18 also extends obliquely such that the circumferential interval between the two second spoke pieces 22 constituting the second spoke decreases toward the rim 4. In the present embodiment, both the first and second spoke

pieces

20 and 22 extend obliquely with respect to the radial direction toward the rim 4 without extending in the radial direction, but only the second spoke piece 22 may be inclined.

Each first spoke piece 20 is coupled to the rim 4 by a first coupling portion 26. Each second spoke piece 22 is coupled to the rim 4 by a second coupling portion 28. In the present embodiment, the first circumferential interval L1 of the

first joints

26, 26 of the two first spoke

pieces

20, 20 is greater than the second circumferential interval L2 of the

second joints

28, 28 of the two second spoke

pieces

22, 22. The third circumferential interval L3 between the first connection portion 26 of the first spoke piece 20 and the second connection portion 28 of the second spoke piece 22 adjacent thereto is greater than the first circumferential interval L1 and the second circumferential interval L2(L3> L1> L2).

A weight holding piece 30 is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the rim 4. The weight attached to the holding piece 30 is provided to eliminate imbalance in rotation of the wheel 1 and the tire 2. The retaining piece 30 is attached to a circumferentially wide portion of the inner peripheral surface of the rim 4, that is, a portion between the first coupling portion 26 and the second coupling portion 28. An air valve 32 for inflating the tire 2 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the rim 4. The air valve 32 is also attached to a portion between the first coupling portion 26 and the second coupling portion 28 on the inner peripheral surface of the rim 4. The air valve 32 of the present embodiment has an L-shape.

As shown in fig. 2, the first web 20 is dimensioned larger than the second web 22 in the axial direction D2 of the wheel 1 at the same radial position P. That is, the entire second spoke piece 22 is disposed inward of the first spoke piece 20 in the vehicle width direction. In the present embodiment, the dimension W1 of the axial direction D2 of the first spoke piece 20 gradually decreases toward the rim 4. Likewise, the dimension W2 of the axial direction D2 of the second spoke piece 22 tapers towards the rim 4.

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of the spoke 10 cut along the circumferential direction D1. As shown in fig. 3, in the present embodiment, with respect to the cross-sectional shape along the circumferential direction, the first spoke piece 20 is formed in a rectangular shape in which the dimension W1 of the axial direction D2 is longer than the dimension T1 of the circumferential direction D1. Likewise, the second spoke piece 22 is formed in a rectangular shape having a dimension W2 in the axial direction D2 that is longer than a dimension T2 in the circumferential direction D1.

The dimension W1 in the axial direction D2 of the first spoke piece 20 is formed larger than the dimension W2 in the axial direction of the second spoke piece 22. On the other hand, the dimension T1 of the circumferential direction D1 of the first spoke piece 20 is formed to be substantially the same size as the dimension T2 of the circumferential direction D1 of the second spoke piece 22. That is, the first spoke piece 20 has a flatter cross-sectional shape than the second spoke piece 22.

In the present embodiment, the first and second spoke

pieces

20 and 22 are formed in a rectangular shape in cross section, and in a circular arc shape with rounded corners. The radius (angle R) of the circular arc of the corner portion of the first spoke piece 20 is set smaller than the radius (angle R) of the circular arc of the corner portion of the second spoke piece 22 (R1< R2).

As described above, the wheel 1 of the present invention is a cast wheel formed by casting. In the present embodiment, the cutting process is performed on both

end surfaces

20a, 20a of the first spoke piece 20 in the axial direction D2. That is, the end surface 20a of the first spoke piece 20 is formed by a finish-cut surface. On the other hand, the end face 22a of the second web 22 in the axial direction D2 is not machined. As described above, by performing the cutting process, the end surface 20a of the first spoke piece 20 is set to have a larger brightness than the end surface 22a of the second spoke piece in the axial direction D2, and the radius of the arc of the corner portion (angle R) is extremely small, and the end surface becomes almost sharp (R1< R2). In addition, polishing may be used instead of the cutting.

Here, "brightness" is affected by surface roughness. Specifically, the larger the value of the surface roughness, the rougher the surface and the lower the brightness. On the other hand, the smaller the value of the surface roughness, the flatter the surface and the higher the brightness. In the present embodiment, the end face 20a of the first spoke piece 20 is formed by cutting a finished surface, and thus has higher brightness than the end face 22a of the second spoke piece 22. In addition to the cutting process performed on the end face 20a of the first spoke piece 20, the end face 20a of the first spoke piece 20 may be coated or taped to improve the brightness.

In the present embodiment, the radius of the arc at the corner (the angle R) is formed smaller than that of the second spoke piece 22 by cutting the first spoke piece 20. However, in addition to the cutting process of the first spoke piece 20, for example, the radius (angle R) of the arc of the corner portion of the first spoke piece 20 may be formed smaller than that of the second spoke piece 22 by a die.

As described above, the brightness of the end surface 20a of the first spoke piece 20 is increased and the radius of the arc of the corner is decreased (R1< R2), so that the first spoke 16 appears to be positioned farther to the outside in the vehicle width direction, i.e., to the front of the observer than the second spoke 18 in a side view. As a result, the first spokes 16 are more visible than the second spokes 18 in side view. The spokes 10 of the wheel 1 thus look three-dimensional.

According to the above configuration, since the rim 4, the hub 8, and the spokes 10 are integrally formed as a cast wheel, the number of parts can be reduced, and the strength can be easily ensured. As shown in fig. 2, the first and second spoke

pieces

20, 22 have visually different appearances in side view because the first and second spoke

pieces

20, 22 have different axial (vehicle width) dimensions. As a result, a unique appearance having a three-dimensional appearance can be provided. This ensures high design performance while the cast wheel is used.

With respect to the cross-sectional shape along the circumferential direction of fig. 3, the first and second spoke

pieces

20 and 22 are formed in a rectangular shape in which the axial dimensions W1 and W2 are longer than the circumferential dimensions T1 and T2. According to this configuration, by reducing the circumferential dimensions T1, T2 of the first and second spoke

pieces

20, 22, the thin spokes of the spoke wheel in side view can be visualized, and a light and classic appearance can be obtained. Further, the vehicle width direction (axial direction) dimensions W1, W2 of the first and

second spokes

20, 22 are increased, whereby the rigidity of the wheel can be ensured.

Further, the radius of the arc at the corner of the first spoke piece 20 (angle R1) is set smaller than the radius of the arc at the corner of the second spoke piece 22 (angle R2), and the brightness of the axial end face 20a of the first spoke piece 20 is set higher than the axial end face 22a of the second spoke piece 22. Thus, in the side view of fig. 1, the first spokes 16 appear to protrude outward in the vehicle width direction, and the second spokes 18 appear to recede inward in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the spokes 10 look three-dimensional and can have a unique appearance.

The first spoke piece 20 is coupled to the rim 4 and the hub 8, and the second spoke piece 22 is coupled to the rim 4 and the first spoke piece 20. Thus, the first spokes 16 are formed longer than the second spokes 18, and therefore the first spokes 16 can be made more conspicuous than the second spokes 18. As a result, the spoke 10 looks more three-dimensional and provides a unique appearance.

The connection portion 24 between the first and

second spokes

20, 22 is located radially inward of the outer peripheral edge of the brake disk 14. Accordingly, the coupling portion 24 is not visible from the outside in the vehicle width direction, and therefore the appearance of the wheel 1 is not impaired.

As shown in fig. 2, the dimension of the first and second spoke

pieces

20 and 22 in the axial direction D2 gradually decreases toward the rim 4. By making the first and second spoke

pieces

20 and 22 tapered in this manner, the appearance of the spokes can be approximated to that of the spoke wheel, and the appearance can be improved.

The first spoke 16 has two circumferentially adjacent first spoke pieces 20, and the second spoke 18 has two circumferentially adjacent second spoke

pieces

22, 22. In this way, since the two spoke pieces 20, 20(22, 22) form one spoke 16(18), a stable appearance can be obtained.

As shown in fig. 1, five first and

second spokes

16, 18 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction D1. That is, 10

spokes

20, 22 are provided in each of the first and second spoke

pieces

20, 22, and the spokes 10 are constituted by 20 spoke

pieces

20, 22 in total. Thus, the

spoke pieces

20 and 22 are tapered to have the shape of a wire spoke, and the number thereof is increased and the spoke pieces are arranged in a balanced manner in the circumferential direction, thereby ensuring rigidity. In addition, by increasing the number of the

spoke pieces

20 and 22, hot water is dispersed and smoothly flows at the time of casting. As a result, castability is improved.

The two first spoke

pieces

20, 20 that constitute the first spoke 16 extend obliquely so that the circumferential interval therebetween decreases toward the rim 4, and the two second spoke

pieces

22, 22 that constitute the second spoke 18 extend obliquely so that the circumferential interval therebetween decreases toward the rim 4. This enables the

spoke pieces

20 and 22 to be arranged uniformly and in good balance in the circumferential direction, thereby improving the strength of the wheel 1.

As described above, the first circumferential interval L1 between the two first spoke pieces 20 and the first connecting

portions

26 and 26 of the rim 4 is set to be greater than the second circumferential interval L2 between the two first spoke pieces 22 and the second connecting

portions

28 and 28 of the rim 4 (L3> L1> L2). In this way, the circumferential intervals L1, L2, and L3 are different from each other, thereby providing a unique appearance.

Further, the weight holding pieces 30 and the air valve 32 can be disposed at the portions of the inner peripheral surface of the rim 4 where the circumferential interval is the largest. The air valve 32 has an L-shape, and the air inlet thereof faces the circumferential direction D1, so that the operability during air injection is good. Further, by disposing the holding pieces 30 at the portions having the largest circumferential distance, the attaching and detaching operation of the counterweight can be easily performed.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various additions, modifications, and deletions can be made within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the number and shape of the first and second spoke

pieces

20 and 22 are not limited to the above embodiment. Therefore, such contents are also included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wheel for a motorcycle, comprising a rim on which a tire is mounted, a hub which is located at the center of the rim and supports a wheel shaft, and a plurality of spokes which connect the rim and the hub to each other,

the plurality of spokes are formed such that a first spoke and a second spoke are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the wheel,

the first spoke piece forming the first spoke has a greater axial dimension than the second spoke piece forming the second spoke,

the first spoke piece and the second spoke piece are formed in a rectangular shape having a dimension in the axial direction longer than a dimension in the circumferential direction with respect to a sectional shape along the circumferential direction,

the radius of the circular arc of the corner of the first spoke piece is set to be smaller than the radius of the circular arc of the corner of the second spoke piece,

the axial end face of the first spoke piece is set to be brighter than the axial end face of the second spoke piece.

2. The wheel for a motorcycle according to claim 1,

the first spoke piece is coupled to the rim and the hub,

the second spoke piece is coupled to the rim and the first spoke piece.

3. The wheel for a motorcycle according to claim 2,

the connecting portion between the first and second spokes is located on the inner diameter side of the outer peripheral edge of a brake disc attached to the wheel.

4. The wheel for a motorcycle according to claim 1,

the axial dimension of the first and second spoke pieces gradually decreases toward the rim.

5. The wheel for a motorcycle according to claim 1,

the first spoke has two first spoke pieces which are adjacent in the circumferential direction,

the second spoke has two second spoke pieces adjacent in the circumferential direction.

6. The wheel of a motorcycle according to claim 5,

at least the second spoke of the first spoke and the second spoke is inclined such that a circumferential interval between the two second spoke pieces decreases toward the rim.

7. The wheel for a motorcycle according to claim 5,

the circumferential interval between the connecting portion of the first spoke piece and the rim and the connecting portion of the second spoke piece adjacent to the connecting portion is larger than the circumferential interval between the connecting portion of the two first spoke pieces forming the first spoke and the rim and the circumferential interval between the connecting portion of the two second spoke pieces forming the second spoke and the rim.

8. The wheel of a motorcycle according to claim 5,

the first spokes and the second spokes are provided with five spokes at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.